A scholar of international development, cross-cultural adaptation, and applied anthropology, he has conducted research on issues of change and development in Eastern Senegal, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Tunisia, Somalia, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, and Western Siberia.
His work as a researcher and project specialist has included community led development initiatives with the Peace Corps, USAID, the World Bank, and numerous university and local NGO partners.
Nolan received a bachelor's degree in psychology from Colgate University in 1965 and then spent three years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal where he worked in community development on issues of rural health and water availability.
Following this experience he received a Fulbright scholarship to obtain a DPhil in social anthropology from the University of Sussex in 1975.
[2] He has conducted training programs and contributed to the development of service programs including upper-level university administration, several international development agencies, and public and private partners based in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.